Legal Aspects of Domestic Violence

1. Legal Aspects of Domestic Violence

2. 3-Part Domestic Violence Series • Part I - Dynamics of Domestic Violence • Part II - Legal Aspects of Domestic Violence • Part III - Resources for Domestic Violence Teams

3. Overall Performance Goal • Students will be able to articulate and integrate pertinent facets of law and evidence into Domestic Violence incidents for more effective case resolution

4. Performance Objectives • Illustrate the impact of social and legal changes on law enforcement practice. • Compare and contrast various case law scenarios to identify strong and weak points of past incidents • Describe the important and critical facets of injunctions

5. Performance Objectives(cont’d) • Describe the important and critical facets of evidence gathering • Describe the important and critical facets of report writing • Describe the important and critical facets of stalking investigations

6. What is in it for me? • Expands the investigating law enforcement officer’s ability to assist victims, enforce Domestic Violence laws effectively and prevent further abuse • Assists deputies/officers in knowing how to respond to domestic violence calls to do their job more effectively

7. What is in it for me?(cont’d) • Agency actions set the tone for the community to respond to Domestic Violence issues as a high priority • Minimizes, reduces or prevents adverse liability being attributable to you and/or your organization

8. The Development of Modern Policing • To maintain at all times a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police: the police being only the members of the public that are paid to give full-time attention to the duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence. • Sir Robert Peel, 19th Century English statesman and father of modern policing.

9. Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles For Modern Policing • 1. The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder. • 2. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions. • 3. Police must secure the willing cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the law.

10. Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles For Modern Policing • 4. The degree of cooperation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionally to the necessity of the use of force. • 5. Police seek and preserve public favor not by catered public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.

11. Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles For Modern Policing • 6. Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when exercise of persuasion, advice and warning is found to be insufficient. • 7. Police at all times should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition; the Police are the public and the public are the police. The police being only full time individuals charged with the duties that are incumbent on all of the citizens.

12. Sir Robert Peel's Nine Principles For Modern Policing • 8. Police should always direct their actions strictly towards their functions and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary. • 9. The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.

13. Problems with the Professional Model of Policing • Crime began to rise and research suggested that conventional police methods were not effective. • The public experienced increased fear. • Many minority citizens did not perceive their treatment as equitable or adequate. • The anti-war and civil rights movements challenged the police.

14. Research on Traditional Policing Strategies • Increasing the number of police does not lower the crime rate or increase the number of crimes solved. • Randomized patrol does not reduce crime nor increase the chance of catching suspects. • Two-person patrol cars are not more effective than one-person cars in lowering of crime rates or catching criminals.

15. Research on Traditional Policing Strategies • Saturation patrol does not reduce crime, it displaces it. • The kind of crime that terrifies Americans most is rarely encountered by police on patrol. • Improving response time on calls has no effect on the likelihood of arresting criminals or even in satisfying involved citizens. • Crimes are not usually solved through criminal investigations conducted by police.

16. Factors that Influenced the Development of New Police Strategies: • The police field is preoccupied with management, internal pressures, and efficiency to the exclusion of concern for effectiveness in dealing with serious problems. • The police devote most of their resources to responding to calls from citizens, reserving too small a percentage of their time and energy for acting on their own initiative to prevent or reduce community problems.

17. Factors that Influenced the Development of New Police Strategies: • The community is a major resource with an enormous potential, largely untapped, for reducing the number and magnitude of problems that otherwise become the business of the police. • Police are not using the time and talent of available rank-and-file officers effectively. • Efforts to improve policing have often failed because they have not been adequately related to the overall policies and structure of the police organization. Herman Goldstein, 1977

18. Community Policing Defined • Herman Goldstein, who has been regarded by many as the father of Community Policing, authored the following definition: • Community policing is an organizational wide philosophy and management approach that promotes community, government and police partnerships; proactive problem-solving; and community engagement to address the causes of crime, fear of crime, and other community issues.

19. Major Components of Community Policing • Citizen Empowerment • Officer Empowerment • Collaboration • Problem Solving

20. Core Components of Community Policing • Community policing has two core, equally important components: • Community Partnership • Problem-solving

21. Community Policing "Is Not” • It Is Not a Technique or a Program • It Is Not a Limited or Specialized Style of Policing • It Is Not Foot Patrol or Riding a Bicycle • It Is Not "Soft" on Crime • It Is Not a Specialized Unit or Group

22. Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving • Reassesses who is responsible for public safety and redefines the roles and relationships between the police and the community. • Requires shared ownership, decision making, and accountability, as well as sustained commitment from both the police and the community. • Establishes new public expectations of and measurement standards for police effectiveness. • Increases understanding and trust between police and community members.

23. Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving • Empowers and strengthens community-based efforts. • Requires constant flexibility to respond to all emerging issues. • Requires an on-going commitment to developing long-term and pro-active programs/strategies to address the underlying conditions that cause community problems. • Requires knowledge of available community resources and how to access and mobilize them, as well as the ability to develop new resources within the community.

24. Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving • Requires buy-in of the top management of the police and other local government agencies, as well as a commitment from all levels of management. • Decentralizes police services, operations, and management. Encourages innovative and creative problem solving by all - making greater use of the knowledge, skill, and expertise throughout the organization.

25. Principles of Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving • Shifts the focus of police work from responding to individual incidents to addressing problems identified by the community and the police, emphasizing problem-solving approaches to supplement traditional law-enforcement methods. • Requires commitment to developing new skills through training (e.g., problem-solving, networking, mediation, facilitation, conflict resolution, cultural competency/literacy).

26. The Main Principles of Quality Leadership • Maintaining a vision and managing through values rather than rules. • Focusing on teamwork. • Commitment to the problem-solving process with focus on data. • Seeking input before decisions are made. • Asking people who do the work about ways to improve the process.

27. The Main Principles of Quality Leadership • Avoiding "top-down" decision making. • A customer orientation. • Focusing on improving systems and processes before blaming individuals. • Encouraging creativity, risk-taking, and tolerance of honest mistakes. • Creating an open climate that encourages providing and accepting feedback. • Developing goals and a plan to achieve them.

28. How Citizens Can Help Control Crime • Citizens can watch and report suspicious activity • Citizens can patrol, confront suspicious people, take active involvement • Citizens can reduce their chances of victimization or causing neighborhood deterioration • Citizens can put pressure on others • Citizens can authorize the police to act in their behalf

29. The Four Parts of SARA • Scanning • Identify problems • Analysis • Collect and analyze information • Response • Collaboratively develop and implement solutions with other agencies and the public • Assessment • Evaluate strategy effectiveness

30. The Six Most Common Areas of Officer Liability • Failure to take proper actions to protect a citizen • Failure to appropriately enforce a court order protecting a victim of domestic abuse • Failure to respond at all or in a timely manner

31. The Six Most Common Areas of Officer Liability (cont’d) • Failure to provide information to a victim as required by law • Arresting a citizen without establishing probable cause • Exhibiting a pattern of differential treatment or application of the law to domestic violence cases

32. Thurman vs. City of Torrington • Thurman vs. City of Torrington (595 F.Supp. 1521, Con. 1984) • The jury awarded $2.3 million to a battered woman whom the police failed to protect on several occasions. Ms. Thurman was able to show that the Torrington Police Department treated domestic violence calls far less seriously than the same crime committed by strangers.

33. Persons Victimized by DV in Lifetime(NVAW Survey, 2000 - Percentages)

34. Reasons Victims do not Report Domestic Violence

35. NVAW, NCVS and NFVS Implicate and Suggest • DV should be treated as a significant social problem • 1.5 million women victims annually • 830,000 men • Women report it more

36. Law Enforcement’s Role in Preventing Domestic Violence • “90% of domestic violence cases are misdemeanors. By handling these misdemeanors effectively, we may prevent them from escalating to a felony injury or homicide.” • Casey Gwinn, City Attorney, San Diego, CA, Domestic Violence: The Changing Role of Law Enforcement The Law Enforcement Resource Center

37. Law Enforcement’s Role in Preventing Domestic Violence • “If law enforcement officers are thoroughly investigating domestic violence crimes and properly identifying primary aggressors, then there are no false arrest issues.” • Ret. Sgt. Anne O’Dell, San Diego Police Department

38. Report Writing Legal Aspects of Domestic Violence

39. Importance of a Well-Written Report • Multiple readings and uses of the report • Documentation in domestic violence incidents

40. Multiple Uses of aDomestic Violence Report • Report is used by many different groups. • Report information is used for many different purposes.

41. Law Enforcement Agency • Decisions about further investigation or action.

42. Judge • Conditions for pre-trial release • Setting Bail • Sentencing • 741.2902

43. Prosecutor • Charging • Plea agreements • Ability to Proceed based on evidence and report data • 741.2901

44. Defense Attorney • Advice for client based on strength of case

45. Pre-Sentence Investigation • Seriousness of incident • Lethality factors • Substance abuse treatment

46. Jury • Understanding of case and evidence • Is the defendant guilty?

47. Child/Adult Protective Services • Determination if services or protection are needed for the children, elderly or disabled members in the household

48. Rehabilitation Program • Circumstances of this abusive incident • Level of violence used and past violence • Substance abuse issues

49. Court Ordered Supervision • What level of supervision is needed?

50. Victim • Protection orders • Civil actions • Child custody issues